it is, and I can't
gainsay it. The lady comes along very slowly--she looks hard at me--she
nods her head, as much as to say, 'You, and your cab, and your horse,
are what I'm on the lookout for;' and I gets down, opens the door, and
sees her in quite comfortable. Says she, 'Drive me to Messrs. Scott and
Brown, in Gray's-Inn Road.'"

"No!" I ejaculated.

"Yes, doctors," replied Simmons. "'Drive me,' she says, 'to Messrs.
Scott and Brown, Gray's-Inn Road.' Of course I knew the name again; I
was vexed enough the last time I were there, at showing myself so green.
I looks hard at her. A very fine make of a woman, with hair and eyes as
black as coals, and a impudent look on her face somehow. I turned it
over and over again in my head, driving her there--could there be any
reason in it? or had it any thing to do with last time? and cetera. She
told me to wait for her in the street; and directly after she goes in,
there comes down the gent I had seen before, with a pen behind his ear.
He looks very hard at me, and me at him. Says he, 'I think I have seen
your face before, my man.' Very civil; as civil as a orange, as folks
say. 'I think you have,' I says. 'Could you step up-stairs for a minute
or two?' says he, very polite; 'I'll find a boy to take charge of your
horse.' And he slips a arf-crown into my hand, quite pleasant."

"So you went in, of course?" said Jack.

"Doctors," he answered, solemnly, "I did go in. There's nothing to be
said against that. The lady is sitting in a orfice up-stairs, talking to
another gent, with hair and eyes like hers, as black as coals, and the
same look of brass on his face. All three of 'em looked a little under
the weather. 'What's your name, my man?' asked the black gent. 'Walker,'
I says. 'And where do you live?' he says, taking me serious. 'In Queer
Street,' I says, with a little wink to show 'em I were up to a trick or
two. They all three larfed a little among themselves, but not in a
pleasant sort of way. Then the gent begins again. 'My good fellow,' he
says, 'we want you to give us a little information that 'ud be of use to
us, and we are willing to pay you handsome for it. It can't do you any
harm, nor nobody else, for it's only a matter of business. You're not
above taking ten shillings for a bit of useful information?' 'Not by no
manner of means.' I says."

"Go on," I said, impatiently, as Simmons paused to look as hard at us as
he had done at these people.

"Jest so doctors,